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Recap: Munster vs Southern Kings LIVE | Guinness PRO14
By RugbyPass
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between Munster and Southern Kings at Independent Park.
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
Munster boss Johann van Graan hands a debut to first-year academy member John Hodnett.
The back row, a product of Clonakilty RFC, was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland under-20s last season and has featured regularly for UCC this year.
Billy Holland captains the side on his 226th Munster appearance. Mike Haley, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly make up the back three.
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Dan Goggin and Chris Farrell are named as the centre partnership with Neil Cronin and JJ Hanrahan in the half-backs.
It’s an all-international front row with James Cronin, Niall Scannell and John Ryan named in the starting XV. Fineen Wycherley and Holland start in the second row with Jack O’Donoghue, Hodnett and Arno Botha completing the side. Astle leads Kings against Munster.
Edmund Ludick will make his Southern Kings as a starter in Cork while Luyolo Dapula will also make his first appearance off the bench.
The versatile 21-year-old Ludick replaces the injured Yaw Penxe on the wing, with Dapula, also 21, providing loose forward cover from the bench.
It will also be a special occasion for one of the Kings’ longest-serving players, Ruaan Lerm, who will run on for the 50th time in the club’s colours.
JC Astle, who resumes as captain this week, congratulated the trio on their imminent milestones. “We obviously have a very special night with Ruan earning his 50th cap for the franchise, and also Eddie and Dapula making their debuts,” he said.
“We were greeted by a bit of snow when we arrived in Cork on Tuesday, but it didn’t last long.. The boys are very excited for Friday night – our energies are high. We’ll be heading in with a lot of confidence.”
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Latest Comments
Think we have to accept we have been on the slide for a while now.Still interesting to see the repeated media pieces about the myth of the ABs slipping-I would say slipped past tense.In part don’t we have to give credit for the improvement of other nations particularly Ireland?Isnt that good for the game?Are we beginning to feel the impact of losing the Boks from Super rugby and maybe soon TRC?I would agree we are also ran right now so will be interesting to see how we progress-assuming we do!Isnt that part of sport though to be in improvement mode?Back to the stats though I think the Boks were under 60% leading into 2019?Now with the focus on the RWC does it matter so much what you are doing between tournaments?You just get through your group(remembering the ABs qualified 2nd in 2023)and then you have 3 matches to win the thing.
Go to commentsThe ABs have more than enough back line guys so don’t see issue there. Just the balance at center and feel time for Rieko to sit out.Forwards- balance still not right. Front row ok but miss Codie. But still ok. Locks- you now need to start s a tall timber at middle of lineout- Darry is the right guy. Then move Sititi to 8, move Ardie to 7 and then move Vaai to blindside. He can become the closest to PSdT . Then have proper bench as this is not a demotion but key to dominating last 30 minutes- Patrick, Ofa etc are golden here. Get the balance right between starters and finishers
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